Beef Stroganoff à la Bittman

Yes, there was another hiatus (family emergency). Yes, I'm back. Hi!

This quick but luxurious recipe was the perfect treat for New Year's Eve dinner, and went wonderfully with some rice and a glass of dry sparkling wine. I halved Bittman's recipe, but used the full 8 oz. of mushrooms, which produced enough for 2-3 people. I also splurged on a wonderful piece of beyond fork-tender beef from Canales. Perfect way to fortify myself for 2012.

• 2 T unsalted butter
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 8 oz. mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
• salt and pepper
• .8 lb. beef tenderloin, sliced into 1-1/2 in. pieces
• 1 tomato, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 c. beef broth
• 1-1/2 t Dijon mustard
• 1/4 c sour cream
• dill or parsley, chopped, for garnish

Melt the butter in a Dutch oven or heavy skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add the onion and mushrooms. Season them with salt and pepper then cook, stirring occasionally, till the onions are very soft but not brown, about 10 min.

Add the meat and cook for about a minute.

Add the tomato, beef broth and mustard. Adjust the heat so the mixture bubbles steadily, then cover and cook till the meat is tender, about 5 minutes.

Stir in sour cream. Adjust seasoning, then garnish with your choice of herb.

Infusion: Dill Vodka

Wanted something light and cool for summer cocktails, hence this. Basically: 750 ml (a bit more in this case, as I nearly filled the jar) of Svedka and a heaping packed cup of dill (about 1/2 of a generous bunch from the farmer's market). Spent a happy 10 minutes stripping the  fronds from the stems and enjoying both the delicate, feathery texture and the intoxicatingly springlike smell. Will check on it tonight and see if it's ready.

UPDATE (17 July): Strained it into another container after six days. Perfect in a one-to-one vodka tonic: dilly and refreshing. This will become one of my go-to summer drinks; I've already bought another bunch of dill.

Egg Salad with Dill

Given that I've been craving cold summer salads and the dill has been bolting, egg salad seemed a natural. At first, the proportions in this recipe, which I halved, seemed much too saucy. So, I asked John to bring home two more hard-boiled eggs, mixed those into the dish, and all was good. My version, with tweaks, below:

• 6 hard-boiled eggs, coarsely chopped
• heaping 1/4 cup red onion, chopped, plus more for garnish if desired
• heaping 1/6 cup dill (though some found the original proportions too much, I love this herb and actually increased the amount)
• 1/4 cup mayo
• 1/8 cup sour cream (seriously, don't skip this - adds a wonderful rich tang)
• 1/8 cup Dijon mustard (Grey Poupon country-style worked very well, as the seeds added texture)
• salt and pepper to taste

Put the eggs, red onion and dill in a bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream and mustard. Add to the egg mix, toss, and adjust seasoning if necessary. Refrigerate for a few hours or serve warm with bread or crackers.

Leek, Potato and Mushroom Soup

The soup that keeps on giving - just finished the last bit today, but it's featured in two other packed lunches this week and a few meals at home besides. The recipe is courtesy of the talented Flit, who I encountered via the Mr. Bento Flickr pool; my halved and tweaked version is below. My first attempt turned out extremely tasty, though a bit watery, partially because I had more stock than expected. Next time, I'll lessen the amount of liquid (and probably reduce what I do use a bit more beforehand); I'll probably also keep the increased leek and carrot proportions and cut down the dairy a bit.

• 1 tbsp. butter
• 3 large leeks, white and pale green parts, sliced (about 4 cups)
• 2 medium-sized carrots, diced (about 1 cup)
• 8 oz. mushrooms
• 2 russet potatoes, diced (about 2. cups)
• 5-6 cups chicken stock (homemade this time - next time I'll use less and reduce what I do use)
• 1 tsp. dry dill
• 1 tsp. dry thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste
• 3/4 cup half-and-half (will try less, maybe 1/2 cup next time)

Over medium or medium-low heat, sprinkle the leeks and carrots with salt and sweat in the butter till soft, but not colored (around 5-10 min.).

Add mushrooms, potatoes, black pepper, dill, thyme and bay leaf; then add enough broth to cover by 1-2 inches. Simmer till potatoes are tender (around 20-30 min.).

Remove from heat. Stir in half-and-half.

If possible, let sit a few hours/overnight, then reheat before eating.

Lamb Stew with Dill and Root Vegetables

Yesterday was the first time I cooked with dill. Handling the delicate, feathery herb is such a pleasure, even when you're frantically stripping fronds from stems because you forgot to add the latter to the cooking lamb. Gathering up the loose cupful of leaves to chop tickled my palms and fingertips; the delicate, fresh scent brought back memories of a summer night in Portland and the mild, gentle Bloody Dane I had there.

Herewith, the recipe I used last night - a riff on one of Bittman's riffs. While the stew turned out a tad soupy, it tastes good - lightly flavorful, but filling - and will probably taste even better tomorrow. I can also reduce the sauce a bit later on.

• 3 lbs. lamb shoulder, cut into 2-in. chunks (original: 2 lbs.)
• 1-2 tbsp. oil (used vegetable, because that was closest to hand - original recipe doesn't call for browning)
• 2 medium onions, chopped (original: 1-1/2 cups)
• 1 bunch dill
• 5 carrots, cut into 1-1/2 in. chunks (about 1-1/2 lbs.; original calls for about 3 lbs. of any combination of root vegetables)
• 3 potatoes, cut into 1-1/2 in. chunks (another 1-1/2 lbs. or so)
• 2 cups of liquid (used a low-sodium beef broth this time; may use less next time)
• salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Brown lamb chunks in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Remove and set aside.

Deglaze pot (I used a wee bit of cider vinegar and some broth, this time).

Strip the the leaves from a bunch of dill. Tie the stems together. Chop the leaves and set them aside.

Return meat to pot along with onions and dill stems. Season with salt and pepper, then add liquid. Bring to a boil, then cover, turn to low, and simmer till lamb is getting tender (about 60 min. in my case, but then again we were also playing Borderlands).

Add the vegetables. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer over low heat till they're tender but not mushy - about 30-40 min., in this case.

When everything's done, stir in the dill. Correct seasoning, if necessary.